12/01/2009 @ 5:15AM

A Cruise That Never Ends

In what could become the new home for up to 200 families, South Koreas Samsung Heavy Industries and Utopia Residences of Beverly Hills are teaming up to build one of the worlds most luxurious cruise ships

What makes this liner unique is that passengers will have the opportunity to become owners of their own on-board homes. With prices starting at $3.9 million for a 1,400 square foot residence and rising to $25 million for 6,600 square feet of space, well-heeled clients can live on the ship while touring various ports around the world.

Chairman of Utopia Residences David Robb said the largest and most expensive home on the ship they have customized so far came at a cost of $160 million.

The new liner, appropriately named Utopia, promises to carry its owners on a perpetual tour of the worlds biggest events like the Cannes Film Festival, Monte Carlo Grand Prix, the Olympics and the Melbourne Cup.

Utopia residents can enjoy the adventure and variety as if they had multiple waterfront homes around the world but also the simplicity and luxury of having everything in one place and at one time in one magnificent home, explained Robb.

At a total cost of $1.1 billion and measuring 971 feet long (296 meters), the new liner will be the largest passenger ship ever built on the Asian continent, according to Samsung.

Besides the residences, Utopia will also feature a 204-room boutique hotel along with a host of entertainment amenities that will include a casino, spa, theater, night club, swimming pools, restaurant and residents club.